Steven Sinofsky reveals more Windows 8 information

Hey! Are you tired of hearing about Windows 8? No? Good. Neither are we!

Today, Windows President Steven Sinofsky wrote a blog post on the Building Windows 8 blog, detailing the process that went into developing Windows for use on the ARM architecture, as well as confirming (and denying) a few myths about the next iteration of Microsoft's desktop operating system.

First off, WOA (Windows on ARM) will be able to run the traditional Windows desktop. Devices using those processors will have complete access to the desktop, along with desktop versions of apps — including Microsoft Office. In Sinofsky's own words:

"…we’ve designed WOA to look and feel just like you would expect. WOA enables creativity in PC design that, in combination with newly architected features of the OS, will bring to customers new no-compromise experiences."

Unfortunately, not everything is perfect. Sinofsky stated that you won't be able to install WOA on other devices, nor will you be able to install apps from outside the Windows Marketplace. That certainly won't go over well with people who are used to Windows; after all, in existing Versions of Windows, users can install apps from wherever they want.

Lastly, and probably most importantly, WOA PCs are estimated to ship at the same time as their x86/x64 counterparts. This means that WOA should take off at a rapid rate when compared to the competition, especially given the fact that you can get a full desktop experience with better battery life.

I won't make any rush decisions on what I feel about Windows 8 just yet, but I am super happy to hear that ARM tablets/PCs will be able to access the traditional desktop. Let's just hope we can also access the traditional Start button, too.

About the Author

Calob Horton is an associate editor at Pocketables. He loves all technology, no matter which company it comes from. This unbiased view of the tech world allows him to choose the products that best fit his personal needs and tastes: a Microsoft Surface Pro, a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and a third-gen iPad.